1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to supporting an object, and more particularly to methods, apparatuses, and systems for supporting an object on a surface.
2. Description of Related Art
In many applications, it is often desirable to install an object, such as heavy equipment, on a wall or other surface. For example, in electrical systems, it may be desirable to mount an inverter/charger or a distribution panel on a wall. In some instances, an inverter/charger or a distribution panel may weigh approximately 120 pounds, so it is often impractical to mount these objects directly on a wall. Instead, it may be more practical to fasten a body such as a bracket to the wall, and then support the object on the body.
Many surfaces, such as walls, include structural elements such as studs or joists. Often, these structural elements are spaced apart at regular intervals such as 12 inches, 16 inches, or 24 inches. In order to mount a body for supporting a heavy object to a surface with adequate structural support, it is often necessary to use fasteners that pass through openings in the body and cooperate directly with the structural elements. However, locating these structural elements may be time-consuming because the support structures are often invisible behind a covering such as a sheet of drywall, and may require special equipment such as a stud sensor to locate the structural elements.
Therefore, when mounting an object to a surface, it is often necessary to use special equipment such as a stud sensor to ensure that the fasteners will cooperate directly with the structural elements or the surface. In addition, it is often necessary to use special equipment such as a leveling device to ensure that the object is level. Thus, mounting a series of objects of fixed size to a surface can be very time-consuming and can require extensive use of special equipment such as stud sensors or leveling devices on each object because each object must be independently positioned relative to the support structures, and each object must be independently leveled.
Also, some objects include a structure for support. Supporting a heavy object during mounting may be difficult because much of the object's weight must be supported by means other than the final mounting support until the final mounting support is secure, or until the object is secured to the support. Also, removing the object from the support may be difficult because unfastening the object from the support can cause the object to become immediately unattached unless it is secured by other means, which can create an unsafe situation.